As some of you may know, I am now at the nine month mark of my pregnancy. This past Saturday, I was slated to do my annual Mother's Day dinner at Sugar Moon Farm in Earltown, but contractions started Thursday, and by Friday I was told by my doctor that I was pretty much in labor and that a dinner for 60 people, an hour and a half away, was probably not a good idea. So, with the fear of dealing with labor and a new baby and the stress of trying to figure out who or what was going to happen with Sugar Moon, I was at my wit's end. I made a quick phone call to Craig Flinn of Chives (a fellow chef in the city) hoping that he would be able to help me out. Thankfully he accepted the challenge of finishing what I started. Craig is a saint! So, with Sugar Moon taken care of, we packed our bag and headed to the hospital with hopes of a quick and painless delivery! Many hours later, with our hopes and dreams deflated, we headed back home with no baby. That's right, I may have been on my way to a speedy delivery, but apparently the little guy in my belly decided that he liked it too much in there and proceeded to climb back in! Aaargh! Two days of contractions, endless walks around the lake, hanky panky and even a twenty minute stint of running up and down stairs, this kid was having no part of making an appearance. By Sunday I felt frustrated and tired. It was Mother's Day and I there was no new kid to give me sloppy kisses! That was it, the battle was on. I declared war on my womb and decided to "spice" this baby out. I was no holds barred when it came to our dinner last night; jerk beef, rice and beans and an avocado, tomato and cilantro salad. The jerk had enough spice to make all three and a half of us cry, and the rice and beans used up a whole can of chipotle peppers! Smoke came out our ears, and my husband complained of "ring of fire", but to no avail. So now I sit here writing this post with a very busy baby still in my belly instead of one sleeping quietly in a bassinet beside me.
Should you ever feel the need for heat, here is my tried and true jerk marinade that should make most babies shoot right out of their Mommas!
The Lavallée Jerk
- 1 jar Grace's Jerk Spice (250ml)
- Juice and zest of 6 limes
- 1" ginger root; peeled and minced
- 1/2C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 C. molasses
Mix all the ingredients together and use sparingly. Unused portions can be kept in a jar in the refrigerator until the next time it's needed.
FYI...Baby Philippe was born a few hours after this dinner, so I really DID spice him out!